Long Enough
by Marie Graham
Summary: Chelsea Milton had left home to start a farm. Her paranoid tendencies just wouldn't allow her to keep living in Dallas. She moved to the middle of nowhere, and told nobody but her parents where she went to. But even if you hide, you must eventually be found. Vaughn x Chelsea, real world AU.


**AN: Hello! This story actually originated as a thinly-veiled fanfiction that I wrote for an English extra-credit assignment. We had to write a piece of literature and then submit it to a literary magazine for students. This is what I wrote, though I made a few minor changes, to make the characters' appearances canon, instead of almost canon. I hope you enjoy this little oneshot! Please review!**

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Chelsea Milton had left home to start a farm.

Her love of nature and animals was what brought her out into the middle of nowhere, with nobody to help her. She had left her life behind in Dallas, wishing to start anew. She hadn't broken contact with her family, of course- but it was scarce nonetheless.

She was so happy now, surrounded by animals, plants, and independence. For 3 years she's run this farm, having very few problems along the way.

Until now.

Chelsea sighed as the wind continued to howl throughout the day. She opened the curtains, only to be disappointed- everything was completely still white, snow dancing through the air. If you consider blowing in the wind at over 35 miles per hour to be dancing, that is. She couldn't even see the sky. The snow smothers the ground, her house, even her normally cheery mood.

She sulked over to the recliner in the living room, and sat back. This blizzard had been going on since 11:00 this morning, and it was now nearly 8 PM. She was growing tired, as she had already eaten dinner and she had nothing else to do. Her eyes started to flutter, and she turned onto her side. As she did so, she caught sight of the electronic clock on the desk next to her. At first, the blinking numbers meant absolutely nothing to the tired girl, but then she realized- her cows needed to be given extra fodder just in case the blizzard wasn't gone by tomorrow. She shot up, sobered by the horrid thought of her beloved cows going hungry, and scurried back over to the window. Her eyes darted back and forth between the clock and the sea of white outside, trying to decide whether it was worth it or not. As she was heading back to the recliner, deciding she would go out in the morning, her gaze fell on a bottle of medicine on the kitchen counter. Chelsea gasped, while berating herself for forgetting that her calf, Margaret, was sick. Her mind was made; she couldn't let the poor dear suffer.

She raced to the closet, and pulled out her thickest coat, gloves, and a scarf. She knew that the journey wouldn't be very difficult, seeing as the barn was only around 50 feet away from her front door. She opened her front door, and snow flew in. She sighed, knowing that it would leave a puddle that she would need to clean up. Chelsea braced herself, closing her eyes so that she wouldn't go snowblind, and stepped out into the storm with her hands out in front of her, hoping to feel her way. But instead of snow crunching beneath her boots, her feet landed on something hard. She thought she heard a grunt, but she knew that wasn't possible. Nobody would be crazy enough to go out in this blizzard.

Except for her, of course.

She stretched her arms a little further into the cold, and felt something warm, something that expanded and contracted. Confused, she opened her eyes, and saw a tall man with an annoyed look on his face staring right back at her. Her eyes widened- she needed to get him inside! Forgetting about her cows, she tugged on his arm, leading him into the warmth of her home. "Oh my, I am so sorry, sir! This blizzard is so loud that I couldn't hear you knocking. Oh dear, I hope you weren't standing out there for long!"

The man started to say something, but it was lost to her ears as she ran to get him a towel to dry off with. As she came back, she saw him looking around the kitchen area, at the photographs on the counter. The faint smile on his face went unnoticed. Chelsea tapped him on the back, and gave him the towel when he turned around. As he dried off, she lit a match and placed it against the logs in the fireplace, watching as the flames spread until every branch was ablaze. She then dragged over the other chair towards the warmth, gesturing for the man to take a seat.

He set his hat down on the coffee table in front of them, and was silent, the annoyed look never leaving his face. He almost seemed to be waiting for something- but as to what that might be, Chelsea hadn't the faintest idea.

Chelsea could endure the quiet for only a couple of minutes, fidgeting in her comfy recliner. "So, why were you out during this storm?" She was genuinely curious- if she hadn't needed to tend to her cows, she never would have even cracked open the door. It was dangerous to be out in this weather, and she was glad she found him before he froze to death. As she waited for him to answer, she leaned back and closed her eyes, still tired.

He glanced at her, then looked away again. "I was looking for someone," he answered after another moment, his southern drawl prominent.

She opened her eyes in confusion- she knew that voice from somewhere. It was the kind of familiar where she could predict when his voice would go low, and when it would go higher. It's the word that you've seen countless times, but as you say it over and over, it loses its meaning while the familiarity remains.

She finally decided to get a closer look at the man sitting next to her, and studied his profile carefully. His hair fell in front of his eyes, the silvery hair catching the light, and seeming to glow. As he blew the bangs out of his face, she caught a glimpse of his eyes- a striking amethyst, filled with unspoken words. She gasped in shock- she could recognize that gaze anywhere.

He turned to her, a smirk on his face, as if he was teasing her for only getting the punchline of a joke 10 minutes after it was told. "Well, that certainly took you long enough, Chels." He almost smiled, but then seemed to remember something, and his face was back to annoyed.

Chelsea could cry, she was so happy. "Vaughn," she whispered, the sound so faint it merely seemed like the wind outside. Her companion, her confidant, and eventually her significant other, Vaughn Reynolds, was here, in front of her. She hadn't seen him in 5 years- when she moved, he had been working in Europe. "Vaughn," she said again, louder, letting the joy seep into her voice, "I've mi-"

"Chelsea." Vaughn's voice was harsh, stern, and upset. "How could you do that to me, Chelsea? You didn't leave an address, a phone number, and the only people you told were your parents! When I finally came back to Dallas last month, I was so worried, so shocked, and even though they knew it was killing me, your parents wouldn't tell me where you went. All I knew was that you had started a small farm. I've been looking everywhere for you, Chels." His voice got softer and gentler as he finished talking, and he looked ready to cry.

Chelsea bit her lip, knowing there was no excuse good enough for leaving so suddenly. "I'm so sorry, Vaughn. I... I needed to leave Dallas, to get away from the paranoia I constantly felt there. And as for not telling anyone, well, I didn't want anybody to come with me." Her voice wavered, and she paused to gather the strength needed to continue.

"Even me? Chelsea, I thought you loved me."

Chelsea gasped, the words bouncing around in her brain, constantly replaying again and again in her mind. She clenched her fists and dug her nails into her palm, hoping the pain would distract her mind. "Vaughn, I do love you! I loved you then, and I still love you now. I just wasn't sure... if you had met someone else while you were in France."

It was Vaughn's turn to be surprised. He felt deeply hurt by her doubt in him, but he couldn't blame her. She was always paranoid, constantly second-guessing everything. "Chelsea, look at me." When she just turned away, her body shaking in a futile attempt to not cry, he reached out and gently tilted her face towards him. "Chelsea, I'm sorry. I've made you upset. You know how I've never had a way with words. But, if you still love me, even after I've been gone for so long, then I guess there's only one thing that can be done."

Chelsea blinked, confusion curtaining her face. "What do you mean, Vau-" She stopped suddenly as he got up from the chair, and kneeled in front of her.

"Chelsea Milton, will you do me the greatest honor of being my wife?"

She scanned his face, looking for any hint of dishonesty- it was a habit she needed to break. But to her immense relief, his eyes held only absolute adoration and love.

"Oh, Vaughn, I can't believe you didn't do this before you left. That certainly took you long enough. But I'm glad you did it now- better late than never. The answer is yes, of course!" She smiled, and Vaughn slipped a beautiful ring onto her finger. "But first," she said, a mischievous gleam in her blue eyes, "there's something I need you to do for me."

Vaughn sighed, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, Chels?"

Chelsea walked over to the kitchen counter, and grabbed a bottle of medicine. Giving it to him, she stated simply, "I'm gonna need you to go give this to Margaret. She's the calf in the barn. Be careful, sweetheart! I made sure to tie a rope from the door to the barn, so you won't get lost."

He groaned, but took the medicine in his hands. Just before he left for the barn, he leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss.

After he left, Chelsea started dancing around the room, laughing giddily. She fell down from dizziness, and sat on the floor for a minute. She looked down at the ring on her finger, and grinned at the color of the gem.

A striking amethyst, containing a promise of love.

Chelsea Milton-Reynolds had left home to start a farm. She never imagined that home would find its way back to her.


End file.
